CHAPTER 280: CHAPTER 279: DEMOCRACY IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ILLUSION EVER DESIGNED

"They no longer need thrones.

They own the systems that choose the thrones."

Royal families. Old money dynasties. Clans whose names were never printed in history books, yet whose fingerprints shaped every page. Their legacy stretches back thousands of years, long before the concept of ’nations’ even existed.

They were emperors when history was still oral. Pharaohs before borders were drawn. While others wrote laws, they wrote bloodlines.

Those who ruled millennia ago still rule today. The ancient bloodlines, the old money families, forgotten royal lineages, and hidden clans ... never relinquished control. They simply adapted. When thrones fell, they stood behind curtains. When kingdoms collapsed, they created corporations.

’The throne is gone,’ they said.

But the crown? The crown was hidden behind the logos of trillion-dollar corporations.

Rex watched as logos faded in and out: tech conglomerates, global banks, pharmaceutical giants. Men in suits shook hands in boardrooms that overlooked cities. They smiled politely as markets crashed and nations fell. All orchestrated. All by design.

"As for governments?"

"Governments are theater," the System said. "Presidents come and go. But the real power never leaves. For every elected official you see, there are ten unelected ones whose names the world will never hear."

The images sped up now... presidents shaking hands with shadowy figures, military leaders bowing their heads, international crises born from whispered orders.

"These positions are passed down in silence. Advisors. Bureaucrats. Committee heads. Their seats are heirlooms. advisors, bureaucrats, committee heads, who pass down their seats through bloodlines. Their offices are altars. Their power? Eternal."

The more Rex heard, the paler his face grew. His fists clenched at his sides. "How the hell does no one know this?" he muttered.

"It is all illusion," the system said. "But the illusion is necessary. It keeps the world in order, the people hopeful, and the game fair, or at least, fair enough to play. But behind the glittering stage of elections, capitalism, and celebrity lies a deeper truth. A truth so tightly woven into the world’s foundation that even speaking it aloud sounds like madness.

The scene changed again... parliament houses filled with arguing politicians, masses cheering during elections, children waving flags.

"Democracy is the most beautiful illusion ever designed."

"Every major corporation, every media conglomerate, every social media platform that shapes the minds of billions—beneath the surface-level ownership lies a network of holding companies, trusts, offshore shells, and secret inheritances that all spiral inward to a few ancient families.

They do not spread truth.

They manufacture consensus."

Rex’s breath caught. "This was not just power," he whispered. "This was godhood in suits."

"Exactly. Presidents and Prime Ministers are not elected. They are selected, sometimes by proxy, sometimes by blackmail, but always approved. They are rotated not to protect people from tyranny, but to prevent any one family from rising too high."

"Their rise is permitted.

Their fall is scheduled.

The families rotate them like chess pieces... balancing power among themselves."

The air around Rex felt heavier. His breath grew shallow. It was dizzying. The mirror beneath his feet began to ripple like disturbed water. The scenes had stopped, but the echo of centuries clung to him like smoke.

But the system still continued dropping bombs after bombs.

"Why limit Presidents to four or five years? Not to protect democracy, to protect the dynasty.

Every candidate is pre-approved. The illusion of choice is preserved by alternating between puppet faces... blue, red, left, right. But the hand inside the puppet never changes.

Because real power does not campaign.

It doesn’t tweet. It doesn’t speak. It waits.

And when the world burns, it thrives."

The system’s voice darkened.

"Even the U.S. dollar, the global reserve currency, is printed and distributed under private authority. Nations don’t control their currency — those families do."

More visions came. The Federal Reserve. The IMF. The World Bank. The Bank of England.

"The Federal Reserve is not a government body. It is a private banking cartel formed under the guise of economic stability, but in truth, it was the final nail in the coffin of financial freedom.

If they control the money... they control the economy.

If they control the economy... they control the country.

And if they control the country... they control the world."

’What about billionaires?’ he asked aloud, voice hoarse. ’The tech geniuses? The start-up kings?’

’Illusions. Carefully chosen figureheads,’ the system replied. ’Hope given form. A mythos to keep the lower classes climbing, dreaming, working.’

Because if they made it, then you could too. That was the story. The fantasy.

But the truth? Those founders rarely owned more than 2–3% of their own companies. The rest? Disguised under ’institutional investors,’ ’pension funds,’ ’private equity,’ and ’foundation holdings.’... a euphemism for the invisible aristocracy.

Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street... these were the masks of the beast. Fronts for the true architects. But trace them deep enough and you’ll find the same old sigils... the same families.

The myth of ’anyone can make it’ is the greatest lie of modern capitalism. It was never about lifting others up. It was about keeping the herd running toward a false carrot... obedient, hopeful, and distracted.

"Just think about it," the system intoned, voice smooth, unhurried, like a sword being slowly unsheathed. "You are one of the most powerful men in the world... controlling the media, industries, politicians, even the law. You see a nameless company gaining traction... a kid with no bloodline, no connections, rising fast and shaking markets. Would you sit still?"

The space felt colder suddenly, as if it was leaning in to listen.

Rex opened his mouth, but no words came. He didn’t need to answer. The silence was its own truth.

The system didn’t wait. "Exactly. The answer is no. Absolutely not."

It gave him no time to breathe before driving the dagger deeper.

"So how did these so-called Silicon Valley ’geniuses’ become the richest in the world?" There was absolute silence, before the system continued. "Do you think hard work and some genius idea alone makes billionaires? Why didn’t it work for others, while there are many others who have introduced revolutionary ideas, worked even harder?"

Rex’s throat felt absolutely perched.

The screen pulsed with imagery... newspaper headlines, viral interviews, tweets etched into history. Behind the digital noise, faintly, almost imperceptibly, were seals of ancient societies, obscure family crests, and blood-red wax stamps on contracts not meant for public eyes.

He let out a bitter smile, though it felt more like a grimace.

"Those who rise too high without approval..." Rex echoed slowly, "...are either absorbed...or erased."

The system confirmed it with finality, "Exactly."

The screen flickered again, this time showing familiar faces... tech icons, startup legends, media darlings. Their smiles now looked forced. Their eyes haunted.

"The ones you worship," the system said, voice quiet and dangerous, "Silicon Valley geniuses, social media CEOs, electric car visionaries... are not gods. They are carefully chosen figureheads. Well-packaged illusions. Allowed to shine only because it benefits the board."

Rex stared, his heart pounding fiercely.

"And those who weren’t chosen?" he asked, voice hoarse.

The screen responded by displaying a long, fast-scrolling list of names.

Some he recognized.

Some the world never got to know.

And many... were missing presumed dead.

(End of Chapter)